Vaccination Issues

Because we care so much for our animals, we try to do the best we can for them. This must include, of course, the prevention of infectious diseases.

Both vaccination with conventional vaccines and homeoprophylaxis with nosodes (related to homeopathy) are much in the news, these days. Rarely has a subject been so emotionally-charged as is the vaccination issue. Fear of side effects, adverse reactions and vaccine damage (vaccinosis, adverse vaccine reaction) are widespread. The possibility is being raised of autoimmunity (auto-immunity – autoimmune disease) occurring in response to vaccination, which is founded on the fact that vaccines contain animal tissues.

Annual boosting (revaccination) in animals has become a habit quite without scientific support (in fact there is much evidence against this practice). A three-year vaccine is available but annual boosting is still the norm. The issue of titre testing has come to the fore.

Double boosters (i.e. a two-vaccination course, like a puppy course) are often recommended for dogs that have lapsed or fallen behind with their annual boosters. Repeat doses are often advised, whenever there is a local ‘scare'. Giving these ‘extra' doses of vaccine is quite without scientific foundation or logic and may well increase the risk of adverse effects.

In sporting horses, there is a rigid vaccination boosting rule, which means vaccination courses must be restarted if a booster is even only a day late, however little science may exist to support this arbitrary policy and despite the dangers.

For animals to be taken abroad and brought back to the UK, a rigid regimen of vaccination and other chemical treatments is a legal necessity. The AVMC does not recommend taking advantage of the Pet Passport Scheme by travelling a pet abroad, because of the chemicals and vaccinations imposed.

While the assertion that vaccination can be harmful is generally not well-received and often dismissed, there is a disease acknowledged to result from a specific vaccine: Rabies Vaccine Induced Ischaemic Dermatopathy. If one such disease can be accepted, it is not difficult to open one's mind to the possibility of more.

These articles are an attempt to defuse the emotions and to rationalise on the basis of knowledge and of experience (click on required topic), in order to help caring animal ‘owners' find a way through the welfare dilemma this complex and multi-faceted issue presents. This area will inevitably be the subject of expansion as developments occur.

Latest news: We have received a first-hand report, in July 2009, of a litter of circa 5-week-old Hungarian Vizsla puppies that caught Parvovirus. They were ill for a few days, with bad diarrhoea but they all threw off the infection and survived, much to the surprise of the local vets. They had just started their homeoprophylactic course of nosode, three days previously. They were too young for conventional vaccination. Other unvaccinated (but nosode-protected) dogs in the household were unscathed. Many other dogs in that area reportedly died of Parvovirus during that outbreak.

The AVMC is very willing to discuss these topics, in an objective manner, knowing what a real dilemma they present to the caring animal (dog, cat, horse, pony, donkey, ferret, rabbit) ‘owner'.

N.B.: We do not supply nosode protection courses to those whom we have not met or to whom we have not fully explained all the issues surrounding this topic. For this reason, the very least we request is time to discuss the issues before supplying. We do not wish to do anything that might perpetuate misunderstandings. Adoption of the nosode policy, in place of a vaccination program is a matter for informed decision-making.

The AVMC is very keen to hear from readers or clients who have experiences, either positive or negative, with nosodes for disease prevention (e-mail).

NEW: On the human side, many will remember Dr Andrew Wakefield and his treatment by his professional body after his research revelations on the MMR/Autism link. He has now re-emerged with a fascinating (but very long) 10-part video interview with Dr Mercola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIsFW5phHas. In this series, Dr Wakefield tells his side of the story, with important revelations.

One day, I trust that posterity will be able to look back on the pet vaccination programs of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century as the rash folly of misguided and avaricious vested interest, in a reckless and headlong pursuit of profit.

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